Let's dance like there is no tomorrow
by adria16
Summary: He should've asked her to the dance, but he didn't, and she is now dancing with somebody else.


**Let's dance like there is no tomorrow**

He should've asked her to the dance.

They were becoming friends, maybe, he didn't really know where they stood at the moment, but he knew it was much, much better than last year, and all of those years before. She was warming up to him, he was sure of it, but he couldn't ask her because he still had hope that one perfect sunny day she will allow him to touch her, and kiss her, and hug her, but it wasn't today or in the near future or maybe at all. He wasn't ready to hear her say that good old _no _one more time because it would crush him and then he would give up once and for all, and he didn't want to give up from her. It was good like this, it really was. She didn't hate him with passion anymore, she laughed at his jokes, even sometimes sat with him and the rest of the Marauders at lunch or in classes, studied with them… But it is never enough for him and he hates that she is so fricking close, he can smell her shampoo, and see her tiny freckles and dimples when she smiles, but he can't touch her or feel her. He feels like jerk.

She is dancing all night with half of the student population of Hogwarts, she even danced with Dumbledore. Boy, it was really a sight to remember. She was like that, all fearless and outgoing, he loved that about her. Actually, he loved everything about her, except that bloody date of hers. He tried to hate him when he saw him asking her to the ball, but he just couldn't. Boy was too nice and friendly for his own good, Hufflepuff and resident Head Boy, perfect Levi Jones, with his perfect looks and his perfect behaviour, no wonder Lily said yes to _him_. They truly were the perfect couple, her red hair shining under the candles, green eyes blazing and deep like ocean, soft blue dress that twirls around her ankles while she spins, and spins, and spins… And him in his midnight blue dress robes, with dirty blonde hair and soft brown eyes that crinkle when he laughs. They are both smiling and obviously enjoying themselves. James watches them and sighs deeply like a little boy whose ice cream just fell on the floor.

"You could've asked her, you know, she would have probably said yes," Sirius' voice is coming from behind.

"No, no I couldn't," he doesn't even turn around.

"Mate, she would have gone with you," Sirius sounds defeated, "as a friend."

James gives him a humorless laugh. "No, she would have known that I don't mean to go _as friends, _and she would have freaked out and would never spoke to me again."

"Alicia really wants to dance, and you _are _her date for tonight, she's actually a nice girl," smooth change of subject, real smooth.

"I know she is, but I'm not in the mood," he knows he is a shitty date, but he just can't make himself enjoy with a girl who is not Lily.

"Suit yourself," and then he is off to get drunk and snog some girl he doesn't even know.

James actually didn't want a date for tonight, he knew he will be awful dance partner and just stare at Lily all night, but Alicia Sommers asked him just five minutes after he saw Levi asking Lily, and she was all sweet and nice, plus this ball_ is _about houses bonding, and she is from Ravenclaw. These are some terrible times, and school is trying to send message that they are united against great evil. There is no point in saying that most of the Slytherins didn't even come. His thoughts went from Lily and her perfect date to the happenings outside the school, all those murders and disappearances and he got the urge to break the glass he was holding. Maybe he would have done just that if _she_ didn't snuck up on him.

"Why is such fine gentleman like you standing all alone in a room full of pretty girls?" she teased him a lot in the past month or two. Sirius said that she is totally flirting with him, but Remus said that is how she behaves around her friends. Well, it was very clear who to listen.

"Why, Lily darling, _you_ are standing just beside me, aren't you?" he couldn't help himself but to banter back and forth until one of them gave up, " By the way, never have I thought in my wildest dreams that you would call me _gentleman, _really, I'm shocked, I'll probably need some hour and a half to collect myself."

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself, you prick, I was merely joking, of course, you are as far from gentleman as one could be," she is beaming at him, obviously teasing, but at this time last year she would've meant it as an insult, "And I meant why don't you have a date."

"And why do you think I don't have a date?"

"I don't know, probably because you are standing all alone whole evening," she liked rolling her eyes at him.

"I actually have a very pretty girl with me tonight, she is just…"

"Imaginary, knew you were crazy since the day we met, Potter."

She still called him Potter, but much less spiteful.

"If you think Alicia Sommers is imaginary then you are the mental one,"he laughed for the first time this whole evening, to something that she said, unsurprisingly,"Wait,wait,wait… how do you know I've been alone whole night, been watching me, huh, Evans?"

She profoundly ignored his last remark,"Why don't you dance then, I thought you like The Flying Bludgers?"

_Because she is not you._ "I _love _them, but I'm not really in the mood."

"Comeee onnn, you can't_ love _some band, and not dance to their songs, that's just… inacceptable!"

"What can I say, living on the edge."

"You are totally dancing with me on this song," she said it like that is the end of the discussion, took his hand and pulled him to the middle of the dance floor, or, more commonly, Great Hall. He didn't fight her for three reasons:1) At first he was too stunned to react, 2)He loved the way her little hand fit perfectly in his 3)He was so happy he just relaxed and in that moment he would've let her lead him through all ten circles of hell if that meant she will never pull her hand out of his.

She was probably the worst dancer ever, she just shook herself and banged her head and did some weird thing she called _funky chicken dance. _She said that is how all the muggle teens dance, and James thanked God once again for being wizard. He couldn't resist but to join her after some time. At first other people just looked them like they need some serious help and then joined in when they saw how much fun Lily and James had. They are all going home for summer holidays tomorrow, some of them will never come back, and they will have to face scary outside world, but for that night, they were just kids dancing on rock'n'roll, laughing and having fun. That ball was really important event in the history of wizard world because right then and there James Fleamont Potter decided that he will win over Lily Marie Evans no matter what, because he already loved her with his full body, heart and soul. And they danced, danced, danced like there is no evil in the world, like they are the only people in the universe, like there is no tomorrow.


End file.
